I was very fortunate, when I began 8th grade I had the opportunity to go
to both and SP ED school and a regular school.  I'm firmly against full
inclusion.  Some of the more severally disabled (ie autistic, mentally
retarded, etc.) could never make it.  Plus the teachers aren't educated
concerning those disabilities.  If a kid with CP goes to a regular school
do you think he/she would be able to participate in the extra ciricular
activiities?  No!  Some of them don't even get out of that darn resource
room because they're too disabled and the "regular" teachers haven't been
educating on how to work with them!

When I was in school I want a cheerleader, I was the Student Body
President, I was on the yearbook staff, and I was on the newspaper staff.
 This was at the SP ED school.  Do you think disabled kids will get those
same opportunities at a regular school?  It would be easy to paint a
beautiful picture, as they often do, but the sad reality of it is they
wouldn't.

I believe that kids with disabilities and without need to socialize
together.  There must be other ways of doing that.

There, I've said my peace.

Cindy

On Mon, 12 Jun 2000 00:11:25 +0100 Deri James
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>                   Betty Alfred <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > I am intensely curious.  I have formed the opinion that more
> > seriously disabled children who are mainstreamed often get
> > thrown in regular classrooms and forgotten, so to speak.  Am I
> > on target in my assumption?
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 06/08/2000 8:27:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> > [log in to unmask] writes:
> >
> > > Sometimes, I think it is better to go to SP Ed school that
> > > has excellent
> > >  teachers, than to one of our many real bad regular schools.
> > >
> >
> >
> Quality of education is directly proportional to the amount of
> resources which society deems appropriate to put into it. It
> should be obvious that if a child attends a school where the
> class sizes are less than 10 and the teacher has 3 or 4 helpers,
> and that teacher has been trained appropriately, then they will
> receive a "better" education than attending a main stream school
> where the class sizes are closer to 30.
>
> Society will never agree to fund this level of education in main
> stream schools - everyone wants low taxes - but it could afford
> this level of education (and better) in Special Ed schools. I am
> not talking about Special Ed within mainstream, I mean purpose
> built schools equipped and staffed for the purpose of educating
> the disabled.
>
> Of course, education at this level would not be "local", many
> would need boarding places, which is a terrible wrench for you
> Mums and Dads, but is a great start on the road to independence.
>
> I do not understand the "holy grail" of mainstreaming, why do you
> see it as an advantage (and that's not aimed at you Betty, but
> all the posters who see a stigma attached to Special Ed).
>
> Cheers
>
> --
> Deri James